RUP-MINYIP and Laharum started off with wins as mid-week rain made play impossible between Homers and Jung in round one of Horsham Cricket Association’s A Grade.
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It was an all too familiar story for the Horsham Saints against Rup-Minyip.
After the side won the toss and decided to bat at Rupanyup things were positioned well with Justtin Combe and captain Tony Caccaviello, 27, at the crease.
Combe had compiled 66 runs before Corey Morgan knocked over his leg stump with a ball that swung late. The Saints then collapsed as the side lost nine wickets for just 43 runs.
Morgan, 3-39, and Jordan Weidemann, 4-33, picked up consistent wicket before Brent Hudson, 3-17, finished the job.
The Blue Panthers got off to a quick start in response as Ryan Metelmann, 44, and Leigh Funcke, 20, regularly found the boundary off anything too short.
The pair had put 41 runs on the board before Jono Carrol took just two deliveries to break through after coming on as a first change bowler.
The wicket of Adam Carter, 20, just before drinks gave the Saints some hope having earlier been in similarly strong position. It was not to be as the more experienced Rup-Minyip side steadily moved towards its target of 140.
Late wickets were a minor distraction before the home side won with six overs and three wickets to spare.
After a tight bowling and fielding display Laharum overcame the loss of early wickets to defeat a Blackheath-Dimboola side that played with just 10 on a slow Cameron Oval outfield.
Blackheath-Dimboola captain Harry Young looked to set the game up for his side and he looked to have found a capable partner in Sam Polack early.
The pair took the score from 1-33 to 93 before Young was stumped by English import George MacDuff for 52 of the bowling of Damien Bunworth.
Polack followed his captain off just three runs later as Dimboola lost its final eight wickets for just 20 runs.
Laharum captain Dan Griffiths said Bunworth bowled particularly tight to finish with figures of 3-26 off 10 overs.
With a low target in sight Elliot Braithwaite and Young made the Laharum team nervous early as openers Josh Mahoney and Pearce Watling were both dismissed without any runs on the board.
Griffiths followed shortly after with the score on just seven before Ben Peucker, 35, and MacDuff, 31 not out, steadied the ship.
“George (MacDuff) looks like he will be a really handy player for us,” Griffiths said.
“He was good with the bat and kept cleanly as well.”
Brad Brotherton, 19 not out, came in late to see Laharum over the line with 9 overs up its sleeve.
Homers and Jung will wait an extra week to get their seasons started after the turf at Sunnyside was unplayable due to mid-week rain.